Up for the auction is a rare collectible Contax Ia camera manufactured by Zeiss Ikon A.G in Dresden in 1932. Its serial number is A.U.80413. The camera comes with nickel plated Tessar lens 1:3.5 f=5 cm made by Carl Zeiss company in Jena and original well preserved case. Serial number of the lens is 1384452. According to the factory serial number table this lens was manufactured in 1932. The camera is in excellent cosmetic and working condition. This is really rare find for collectors. This is my second find of Contax Ia camera. I have sold the first one several years ago (it was manufactured in 1931). It is because Contax Ia model was manufactured during period of several months only and due to its shutter problem it had several recalls from the factory. Then it was superseded by the next models of Contax I and after 1936 by Contax II and III. Eventually it was faded away and only limited number of Contax Ia survived. You can easily recognize Contax Ia model by a “pimple” of a focusing wheel on the top of the camera and lack of slow speed dial in a rewind wheel and lack of camera table support at tripod screw area. It is almost in excellent condition. There is a hairline black paint wear on some of the edges of the camera body end on some of the parts, but it is hardly noticeable. Shutter speeds are working OK. I cannot find any problems. The timing is exact and exposure window stays fully opened during exposure time, when you look through it at light with back cover removed, i.e. there is no lagging of the second shutter.The viewfinder and the rangefinder are amazingly clean.The second image in the viewfinder is clearly visible and can easily make focusing. Focusing mechanism works easily and lightly

There are no scratches on the plating of collapsible lens, or traces of corrosion. There are no scratches, dirt, fungus, scuffs or other defects of lens optical elements. The lens is surprisingly clean. I could not find any dust particles, mold or haze inside the lenses well as any scratches or even cleaning marks on its front or rear glass surfaces. There are some scratches on the nickel plating of the lens collapsible tube but it is minimal. They were made by tiny dust particles during lens extension and retraction. I installed the lens on my Sony NEX3 digital camera via adapter and tested it. It makes perfect pictures. It is very sharp lens. I tested it an infinity and at close-up taking a picture of $100 bill (helical unit of the adapter allows substantial extension). The camera is coming with original ever ready case and belt. They are in excellent condition. Please look at the pictures. I made a lot of them. In order to show sharpness of this lens I made cropping of the last picture. Sony camera and adapter are not included in this sale. Please scroll down for more pictures.

Here is cropping of the last photo: